My Little Pony has it pretty rough in Japan. First and foremost, foreign television shows are rarely syndicated there. The US is similar; Americans would rather remake a show than show it’s original version, even if it’s in English (ie: “The Office”). Since the Japanese animation market is already saturated, it is nearly impossible to get anything non-anime broadcast there.

There are are cultural barriers as well. The most glaring example is that Japanese audiences generally perceive cartoons with talking animal protagonists as preschool-aged entertainment. You think defending your love of a cartoon aimed at the 6-12 age group is bad? Try justifying one marketed to 3 to 6 year olds!